Counting devices



March 21, 1967 R. E. BONNET-rs COUNTING DEVICES Filed May 16, 1965 '3 Sheets-Sheet 1 R. E. BONNETTE COUNTING DEVICES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 16, 1963 nmk Q NX9* NSNM km@ March 21, 1967 n. E. BONNE-rfa 39310661 COUNTING DEVICES Filed May 16, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent 3,310,661 COUNTING DEVECES Roland E. Bonnette, Hamilton, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, NJ., a corporation of New Jersey Filed May 16, 1963, Ser. No. 280,790 2 Claims. (Cl. 235-92) This invention relates generally to. counting devices, and has particular reference to a device for registering articles passing a given point in a particular period of time such as a day, and for also registering the number of articles passing during shorter intervals of time such as an hour.

In many work handling operations in which workpieces are transported on racks, carts, or by other means, it is desirable to provide a daily and hourly record of the number of articles handled. To avoid expensive recording apparatus, it has been found convenient to provide a pair of counters, one registering the daily total, the other registering the hourly total for recording by a supervisor.

Such a system is inconvenient in that it requires the presence of or attention of the supervisor exactly at the expiration of each hourly period, which many times may be inconvenient or impossible.

The object of this invention is to provide a counting and registering system of the type described in which visible means is provided for registering and maintaining the hourly total visible for a predetermined period of time after the expiration of each hourly period.

A further object of the invention is to provide a counting and registering system of the type described in which means is provided for transferring the counting operation to other counting means `for a predetermined period of time after the expiration of a counting period, and for transferring the total accumulated during this period of time to the visible means after said period of time.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent to one skilled in the `art from the following detailed description of'a specific embodiment thereof.

In the drawings:

FIGS. l and 2 are a schematic diagram of a counting device embodying the features of the invention with FIG. 2 being an extension of the lower end of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a front view of read-out units used with the counting device of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a view in section of a read-out unit taken on line IV-IV of FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a counting and registering apparatus embodying the features of the invention, which comprises generally a group of readout units 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 driven by electrical circuitry to be described hereinafter, which is actuated by a normally open counter switch S1 arranged to be mechanically actuated by the devices to be counted.

The read-out units, in the illustrated embodiment (see FIGS. 3 and 4), each comprise a projection screen 20 and a group of individually energizable bulbs 22, with a numeral screen 23 disposed in -front of each bulb so as to be projected onto the screen when the bulb is energized. Such read-out devices are known in the art and their str-ucture does not form part of the present invention.

Associated with read-out units 10, 12, 14 and 18 are stepping switches 24, 26, 28 and 3) respectively, and associated with read-,out unit 16 are stepping switches 32 and 34 having parallel connected output terminals.

g The stepping switches are actuated by the counter switch S1 and by various relays and timers to be described herein-after to provide counting and tabulation in the following manner. The herein described embodiment of the invention is designed for use in situations where fewer than 100 counts per hour and fewer than 1000 ICC counts per day are required. The daily count total is accumulated on stepping switches 24, 26 and 28, and indicated by read-out units 10, 12 and 14, with stepping switch 24 accumulating units, 26 accumulating tens, and 28 accumulating hundreds.

An hourly total is accumulated on stepping switches 30, 32 and 34, and registered on read-out units 16 and 18 in the following manner. Units may be accumulated on either stepping switch 32 or 34, but in either case is transmitted to read-out device 16. Tens are accumulated on stepping switch 30, and transmitted to read-out device When the counting operation commences, counting starts simultaneously on stepping switch 24 Ifor the daily total, and on stepping switch 32 for the hourly total. At the end of an hour, by means to be described hereinafter, the count is discontinued on stepping switch 32 and transferred to stepping switch 34, however the count total remaining on stepping switches 32 (and on stepping switch 30, if the count during this period has exceeded l0) is still transmitted to the read-out devices 16 and 18 for a predetermined period, such as about 5 to 10 minutes. During this interim period the count continues on the daily total stepping switches, and also on stepping switch 34. At the end of this period, the stepping switches 32 and 30, which have been carrying the total of the previous hour, are returned to zero, and the total on stepping switch 34 is tr-ansmitted to read-out unit 16. The duration of this interim period is selected to insure that fewer than l0 counts will be made.

At the end of the next hour, the counting, while continuing on the daily total, transfers from stepping switches 34 and 30 back to stepping switch 32, while continuing to display the count carried thereby on read-out units 16 and 18, during the interim period as described above.

The above operation is controlled in a manner now to be described.

When switch S1 is closed momentarily by an article to be counted, relay R18 is energized momentarily to close contacts R18X1 and R18X2.

Closing of R18X1 pulses relay R24 of stepping switch 24 to move the stepping switch away from the home position, so that switch arm 36 moves off position 12, cona nected to the zero bulb of read-out unit 10, and arm 38 moves from position l to position 2 to light the number one bulb of the read-out unit 10.

The closing of contacts R18X2 pulses relay R32 of stepping switch 32 to move relay R32 away from the home position so that arm 40 moves oit position 12, where it has been connected to the zer-o bulb of read-out unit 16 and to move arm 42 from position l to position 2 where it is connected to the number one bulb of read-out unit 16.

Counting continues in this manner on stepping switches 24 and 32 until nine counts have been made, with the count being displayed on both the hourly and daily readout units. On the tenth count, arm 38 of stepping switch 24 moves to position 11, whereby relays R1 and R3 are energized.

Relay R3 thereby closes contacts R3X1 to complete a holding circuit to relay R3 and to provide power to the contact arms 44 and 46 of stepping switch 26, so that the read-out unit 12 will be illuminated.

Relay R1, when energized as described above:

(a) Closes contact R1X1 to create a holding circuit to itself through home switch 24H1 (which was closed when R24 left the home position);

(b) Closes contact R1X2 to pulse stepping switch R26 so that arm 44 moves on position 12 and arm 46 moves to position 2, to illuminate the number one bulb of readout unit 12; and

(c) Closes contact R1X3 to provide another pulse to 3 stepping relay R24 thereby bringing stepping switch 24 `back to the home position, illuminating the zero bulbof read-out unit 10k VOn arrival at the home position of Contact arms 36 and 33, home contacts 24H1 and 24H2 open, de-energizing relay R1, opening contacts R X1, R1X2 and R1X3. Hence, the next pulse resulting from energizing of relay R13 will again move stepping relay R24 one step to illurriinat the number one bulb as previously described.

Meanwhile, on the hourly counter, the tenth pulse has stepped ariri 42 of stepping relay 32 to position l1, whereby relay R5 i's energized which:

(a) Closes contact R5X1 to provide a holding circuit to R5;

(b) Closes contact RSX?. to pulse stepping relay R36 one step so thatthe number one bulb of read-out device 18 is illuminated; and

(c) Closes contact R5X3 to provide a second pulse to the coil of relay 32 to pulse stepping switch 32 ahead one more step so that said stepping switch is returned tothe number one position Iand the zero bulb is illuminated on read-out unit16;

The counting continues in the above-described manner until the expiration of the r'st hour,- at which time timing relay TR1 closes contact TR1X2 which actuates relay R16 and coil A of latching relay R6. Actuation of relay R6A:

(a) Opens contacts R6X1 and closes R6X2, thereby transferring subsequent pulses from stepping switch coil R32 to stepping switch coil R34, so that a subsequent counting (for the hourly count) is accumulated on stepping switch 34; and

(b) Closes contacts R6X3 and opens contact R6X4 to prepare the circuit for returning stepping switch R32 to the home position, as will appear hereinafter.

The actuation of relay R26 by timing relay TR1 closes contacts R16X1, thereby starting timing relay TR2 and energizing relay R17 to close contacts R17X1 to establish a holding circuit to timing relay TR2.

Relay TR2 has a cycle time of about 5 to 10 minutes before it closes timing relay contacts TR2X1. During this interim period, between the expiration of the hourly period andthe end of the TR2 cycle time, counting for the second hourly period occurs on stepping relay 34. However, contacts R7X2 of relay R7 are open, so that the stepping relay contact yarms 44 and 46 are not energized. However, contacts R7X1 of relay R7 are closed, so that read-out units 16 and 18 continue to be energized through the contacts of stepping switches 32 and 30, hence the count accumulated therein remains displayed on the read-out units 16 and 18.

At the end of the `cycle time of the timing relay TR2, contacts TR2X1 close, energizing relay R10 which:

(a) Closes contacts R16X1, energizing coil A of latching relay R7 (since R6X3 has been closed by relay R6) to open contacts R7X1 and close contacts R7X2, whereby the count which has a-ccumulated in the interim period is now displayed on read-out unit 16. (The cycle time of timing relay TR2 is short enough to insure that fewer than counts will occur during the cycle time, hence, no counting pulses are applied to stepping relay 30 during this period);

(b) Closes contacts R10X2, which causes stepping relay 32 to return to home in the following manner: contacts R10X2 complete a circuit to the stepping coil of relay 32 through reset contact R32R and home contacts R32H2, which latter contacts were closed when the relay left the home position. Reset contact R32R is designed to open and then close each time the relay is pulsed one step forward. Hence the pulse resulting from closing of contact R10X2 moves the relay one step forward. In doing so, the reset contacts are opened and on reclosing provide a second pulse which moves the relay forward another step. This action continues until the relay reaches home, at which time home contacts R32H2 open,

breaking the circuit and stopping the relay. The abovedescribed action is a common method of returning stepping relays to the home position, and does not form part of the present invention;

(c) Closes contacts R10X3, which has no effect, since contacts R6X4 were opened when the counting was transferred to R34;

(d) Closes R10X4 which pulses relay 30 back to home in the manner previously described; and

(e) Opens contact RMDXS, thereby de-energizing relay R17 and opening R17X1 to de-energize TR2.

Thereafter counting continues on stepping switch 34, with the tens being carried over to stepping switch 36, through the energization of relay R9 and closing of contacts R9X1 and RQXZ in a manner similar to that previously described. At the end or" the next hour, through the action of timing relay TR1 and TR2, counting stops 0n stepping switches 34 and 3 0, while the count ac'- cumulated thereon continues to be displayed on read-out `units 16 and 1S, ywhile the count is picked up by stepping switch 32.

During the separate hourly periods, the total count is accumulated on stepping switches 24, 26 and 28 and di tplayed on read-out units lil, 12 and 14 in the manner prt-1 viously described.

Although the herein described embodiment of the invention is adapted for use only in situations where the rate of counting is relatively slow, it will be apparent that a greater counting rate may be accommodated by the addition of ladditional stepping switches and read-out units.

Since certain obvious changes may be made in the device without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained herein be interpreted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination, a work handling transporter, racks vfor supporting work pieces, a detecting means for identifying the rack as it passes a given point along the transporter, and a counting device for recording and displaying the number of racks passing the detecting means, said counting device comprising a pair of stepping switches yused alternatively for a given time period, each switch energized during its time period by the detecting means, a display means electrically connected to each of the switches and thus displaying on a read out unit the number of racks passing and sensed by the detecting unit, means directing the detected count to the rst stepping switch during a first counting period and to the second stepping switch at the expiration of the first counting period, the rst stepping switch retaining the count accumulated thereon, displaying the count for a predetermined time on the read out unit and then returning to a home position and means for returning the count to the rst stepping switch and displaying the accumulated count on the second stepping switch at the end of the second counting period.

2. A system as in claim 1 further including a third stepping switch and associated ldisplay unit accumulating and displaying the count from the detecting means for a plurality of the time periods of the first two stepping switches.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,793,806 6/1957 Lindesmith 340-172.5 2,849,704 8/1958 Neil 340-174 2,851,596 9/1958 Hilton 235--92 2,991,935 7/1961 Robson 235-92 3,063,631 11/1962 Ray 235--92 3,102,256 `8/1963 Paul 340-1725 MAYNARD R. WILBUR, Primary Examiner. JOHN F MILLER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A WORK HANDLING TRANSPORTER, RACKS FOR SUPPORTING WORK PIECES, A DETECTING MEANS FOR IDENTIFYING THE RACK AS IT PASSES A GIVEN POINT ALONG THE TRANSPORTER, AND A COUNTING DEVICE FOR RECORDING AND DISPLAYING THE NUMBER OF RACKS PASSING THE DETECTING MEANS, SAID COUNTING DEVICE COMPRISING A PAIR OF STEPPING SWITCHES USED ALTERNATIVELY FOR A GIVEN TIME PERIOD, EACH SWITCH ENERGIZED DURING ITS TIME PERIOD BY THE DETECTING MEANS, A DISPLAY MEANS ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO EACH OF THE SWITCHES AND THUS DISPLAYING ON A READ OUT UNIT THE NUMBER OF RACKS PASSING AND SENSED BY THE DETECTING UNIT, MEANS DIRECTING THE DETECTED COUNT TO THE FIRST STEPPING SWITCH DURING A FIRST COUNTING PERIOD AND TO THE SECOND STEPPING SWITCH AT THE EXPIRATION OF THE FIRST COUNTING PERIOD, THE FIRST STEPPING SWITCH RETAINING THE COUNT ACCUMULATED THEREON, DISPLAYING THE COUNT FOR A PREDETERMINED TIME ON THE READ OUT UNIT AND THEN RETURNING TO A HOME POSITION AND MEANS FOR RETURNING THE COUNT TO THE FIRST STEPPING SWITCH AND DISPLAYING THE ACCUMULATED COUNT ON THE SECOND STEPPING SWITCH AT THE END OF THE SECOND COUNTING PERIOD. 